Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance

Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance (GFSI / SQF Required)

Location: Henderson, NV

Company: Avatar Natural Foods

Job Overview

Avatar Natural Foods is seeking a highly experienced Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance to lead and manage all food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance programs at our Henderson, NV facility.

This role is responsible for building and maintaining systems that meet GFSI standards (SQF required) and ensuring full compliance with FDA, FSMA, HACCP, and major retail requirements (Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Whole Foods).

The ideal candidate is hands-on, execution-focused, and capable of leading and maintaining GFSI (SQF) certification in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all Food Safety and Quality Assurance programs across the facility
• Maintain and strengthen GFSI (SQF) certification (mandatory)
• Ensure continuous audit readiness for regulatory and customer audits
• Develop and manage HACCP plans, Preventive Controls, and SOPs
• Ensure compliance with FDA, FSMA, GMP, and regulatory standards
• Oversee allergen control programs, including validation and changeover procedures
• Manage environmental monitoring programs (EMP) for RTE products
• Lead internal audits, third-party audits, and customer audits (Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, etc.)
• Own recall readiness, traceability systems, and lot control programs
• Oversee supplier quality, COAs, and ingredient risk assessments
• Manage foreign material control systems (metal detection, X-ray, etc.)
• Lead root cause analysis and CAPA programs
• Ensure proper lab testing programs (internal and external)
• Supervise and develop QA team (managers, supervisors, technicians)
• Partner with Operations and Leadership to ensure quality is integrated into production

Qualifications (Mandatory)

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related field
• 7–10+ years of experience in food safety and quality leadership
• Direct experience with GFSI certification (SQF required)
• SQF Practitioner Certification (required)
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, FSMA, FDA regulations, and GMPs
• Experience with major retail customers (Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Whole Foods)
• Hands-on experience with RTE, refrigerated, or frozen food production
• Strong leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• PCQI Certification
• Experience in high-growth or scaling food manufacturing environments
• Experience leading facilities through audit remediation and system upgrades

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Maintain GFSI (SQF) certification with strong audit scores
• Strong performance on customer and regulatory audits
• Reduction in quality incidents, complaints, and deviations
• Fully implemented and documented food safety systems
• High-performing QA team aligned with company growth

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Performance-based bonus
• Health, dental, and vision benefits
• Opportunity to grow with a rapidly expanding food manufacturing company

About Avatar Natural Foods

Avatar Natural Foods is a fast-growing food manufacturing company based in Henderson, NV, focused on delivering high-quality, affordable products to major retailers across the United States. Our mission is to provide clean, high-quality food at scale while maintaining the highest standards of safety, integrity, and operational excellence.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $90,124.39 - $110,160.56 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person